Posted on 02/01/2025 5:20:04 AM PST by TigerClaws
How do you command a Black Hawk® helicopter to perform a mission autonomously from 300 miles (480 km) away?
Quite simply, by using a tablet connected to the aircraft via datalink.
During the Association of the United States Army's annual meeting in Washington, D.C., (Association of the United States Army 2024), visitors and U.S. Army senior leaders saw how a Black Hawk helicopter integrated with Sikorsky's MATRIX™ autonomy system can receive remote mission commands in real-time. Then, carry out that mission on its own, using its onboard autonomous systems, without remote control or pilot inputs.
The MATRIX system is unique because it's not a simple flight director following a planned route. Instead, the system acts fully independently, reacting to the dynamic combat environment to avoid threats, optimize routing, and execute emergency procedures if necessary.
Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems President Stephanie Hill — a non-pilot — commanded the autonomous Black Hawk helicopter to take off, hover, fly a circuit, and land in Connecticut from a tablet during the AUSA symposium in Washington, DC.
Although safety pilots are in the cockpit, the aircraft flew and navigated itself without pilot input.
Ready to transition to the U.S. Army
Following more than ten years of co-development with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the MATRIX autonomy system is operationally tested. MATRIX will enable contested logistics and operational flexibility with any aircraft, any operator, and in any weather/environment to deliver mission critical, time sensitive sustainment to the point of need.
DARPA Taps Sikorsky to Add Autonomy to U.S. Army-Owned Black Hawk Helicopter
As part of the DARPA ALIAS program, Sikorsky has furthered the development of the MATRIX autonomy system to perform missions with greater efficiency and safety – whether with two pilots, one pilot, or zero pilots on board. As a forward node in the mesh network, MATRIX equipped aircraft provide mission command and fully autonomous capability at the edge.
Ready to transition to the U.S. Army
Ahead of Ready Autonomous capabilities such as MATRIX technology are a key part of Lockheed Martin’s 21st Century Security® vision, which includes modernizing the Black Hawk helicopter to stay ahead of new and emerging threats.
More on the “training exercise” crew.
For these “high level” government officials do you think they’d do extensive psychological testing on any pilots with this job?
Do you think they’d get newbies or inexperienced pilots to fly folks at the top level of our government?
Then go look at the video posted above. Three people on board that Black Hawk didn’t see for ten seconds the bright lights of the commercial flight as it was about to land?
Look at the FLIGHT PATH — elevating and straight for it.
Not adding up at all.
“The U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter that collided with an American Airlines flight landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport was training to perform one of the unit’s key missions: transporting top U.S. leaders to a safe zone in the event of an attack on the nation’s capital.”
People are speculating as to the target.
Sometimes THE ATTACK ITSELF is the point.
“We can take over your systems and cause mayhem. Here’s proof we did it. We will do it again unless...”
No obituary is being posted of the third (female) pilot at this time.
I know people think DARPA is the Darth Vader of mil spending. But, they do some cool stuff.
They do some great stuff.
This tech could save lives — pilots killed in hot zone. Takeover and land the Black Hawk could save the soldiers on board.
We need DARPA and many ‘battles’ are taking place (China) of which we know nothing.
Most aircraft accidents are a series of unrelated mistakes. Planes don’t usually have massive failures without a lot of little failures first.
In the past couple of days I’ve read and heard a lot of pilots talk about how little things like looking at a dial might cause the plane to rise up a bit. I’ve heard how the message from the tower might have caused the pilot to look “right” when they should have looked “left.”
For example, those two little things would be insignificant alone—but combined the impact is significant.
“So this supposed “accidental” collision could instead have been the result of a test of the “Autonomous” function that went horribly awry?”
So who was REALLY controlling the helicopter, perhaps Lt. Mohamad Ackbar 300 miles away?
Remember it’s still Biden’s military for a while longer.
Friend, I’m totally with you. The amount of idiotic insistence that this MUST! BE! A! CONSPIRACY! among far too many posters here is staggering.
A plane on final, at night, in highly congested airspace with tons of background lighting and under tower traffic control is focused forward, concentrated on making their landing. A military helicopter, in the same conditions, mistakenly identifies a different aircraft from the one they have been told to avoid, and fails to see the landing aircraft, ultimate flying into it. They are a bit off planned track and a bit too high. Human error takes its bloody toll.
Very, very easy to understand and believe. The idiotic assertions of nefarious intent or coverup? Ridiculous in the extreme.
What we know about the deceased service member not yet identified:
1. Female (or female-identifying)
2. On a training mission.
3. Army
4. Specifically, 12th Aviation Battalion at Fort Belvoir in Virginia,
5. Active duty
6. Obituary or death record would be within the past couple of days.
Does anyone have genealogy databases?
I’d imagine the obit would avoid mentioning keywords. So just search for every death of an active service member within the last few days. Narrow it down from there.
There’s a reason they aren’t giving us this information.
Not surprising at all. All the military drones flying in the ME (or wherever) have been, for years, controlled by some guy sitting at a desk so why not helicopters.
heads up
2024 promo
I’m having a difficult time understanding why the helo was 200’ above it’s allowable limit. Something smells and it ain’t my upper lip.
Safe and effective
Currently we have 2 out of 3.
37 is on the WAY LOW side IMO
Agreed, someone needs to make a new graphic...
At no point in history has any government ever wanted its people to be defenseless for any good reason
Nut-job Conspiracy Theory AND/OR Spoiler Alert Ping
To get onto The Nut-job Conspiracy Theory AND/OR Spoiler Alert Ping List you must threaten to report me to the Mods if I don't add you to the list...
"Technology is dominated by two types of people: those who understand what they do not manage, and those who manage what they do not understand." ~ Putt's Law
Generally, an aviation accident is the confluence of SEVEN errors any one of which is insufficient to cause the crash, and if any one of those errors wasn’t present the loss wouldn’t be anything more than a near miss.
If the Potomac Black Hawk helicopter was autonomous it wouldn’t have needed pilots.
Like saying because there are self-driving cars that my car is self-driving.
Like saying because there are self-driving cars that my car is self-driving.
Fair point!
Like saying just because your car has a driver, the police can't shut the engine off remotely during a high speed chase...
Like so: VERIFY: How much control does OnStar have over vehicles?
Winning. Senate will probably kill it, but it’s a step in the right direction.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.